


The Wondrous Place

by emma_enchanted



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer, The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-08 08:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21473173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emma_enchanted/pseuds/emma_enchanted
Summary: AU where Callum (Renegades trilogy by Marissa Meyer) is sent to the Good Place experiment instead of Linda.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	1. Wonder Boy Wakes Up

**Author's Note:**

> There will be Supernova and The Good Place spoilers! 
> 
> I know most people probably aren’t following both of these fandoms, so I’ll try to make it easy to understand if you’re only one or the other. But you should still go check them both out. 
> 
> Also there are lines taken directly from TGP, and recap from Supernova. And I’m definitely going to use more characters but I’ll just add tags as I go.

Callum blinked once, twice, three times. Slowly he came to his senses, beginning to register the white void around him. 

Scratch that; it wasn’t a void. He was sitting on a couch, white walls surrounding his vision. His first thought was the med-wing at Renegade headquarters, but the green lettering in front of him said otherwise. 

Welcome! Everything is fine. 

The words made him smile. It was reassuring, and he was glad that someone had thought of his well-being like that. 

“Callum?” 

He looked to his left. He hadn’t seen a door there before, but now there was a woman smiling at him, standing in a doorway. 

Cool.

He smiled back at her. “Come on in,” she said, with a slight nod towards the space behind her. 

Grin growing, he stood and followed her into the next room. It was small, but spacious, and he took every detail in as the woman sat down behind the desk in the center of the room. He didn’t know how long he’d been staring at everything before he realized that she was just sitting with her hands folded, waiting patiently. Still smiling, she gestured to the chair across from her. “Have a seat.” 

He sat. “Sorry for the wait. I’m always fascinated by new places.” 

“Of course. Curiosity is perfectly natural.” 

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat, politely, but with just the tiniest bit of frustration. Callum looked up towards the sound and saw a white haired man with glasses and a bow tie standing behind the woman’s chair. Somehow he hadn’t seen him before, but maybe that was because he blended into the room so well, like he was designed for it. How does that work? 

“Oh, yes,” the woman said, startled. “Callum, this is Michael, my... assistant.” 

Callum grinned. “Nice to meet you!” 

Michael said nothing. The woman looked stared at him for a moment, as though hoping he would introduce himself, or respond in some other way. But it was pretty clear he wasn’t going to. 

Turning back to Callum, the woman began what sounded like something she’d said many times before, while still maintaining that sympathetic smile. 

“You, Callum Treadwell, are dead. Your life on earth has ended and you are now in the next phase of your existence in the universe.” 

Callum’s eyes widened. “Whoa. That’s... not quite what I was expecting. Wow.” He felt overwhelmed and exhilarated all at once, the same way he’d feel if he discovered a new prodigy artifact in the dirt. 

Immediately he started wondering what this meant. Was this the afterlife? Was heaven real? He’d always thought it was, or maybe he just wanted to believe in a place where everyone could rest easy and be honored for their accomplishments. 

There was a whole new world ahead of him... 

And only one tiny caveat. 

“How did I die?” 

Just asking the question made him sober. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to know the answer, but he’d never not asked a question; otherwise they’d rattle around in his head until he gave in. He didn’t like the thought of his death, or of anyone’s. Endings, destruction— he would rather begin and create. 

But maybe knowledge would help him from here on out, somehow. 

She hesitated, then said, “These things are often removed from the memory, just in case they are be traumatizing or painful. Do you... do you want to learn how it happened?” 

“Yes. At least I think I do.” He grinned, suddenly finding it rather funny. He was dead, and a total stranger was the one who knew how he died. How did she know? 

The woman shuffled a few files on the desk, then took a deep breath. 

“Okay. So you were at the... arena.” 

His stomach curdled. He did remember something, then. The public reveal of Agent N. The day Cragmoor prisoners were brought to Gatlon City, to have their abilities sapped from them. 

The thought of so many prodigious abilities, even those used for evil, just disappearing... it made him sick. 

She was still talking. “There was some sort of attack... anyway, a little girl, Maggie, or...” She squinted down at the page. “Magpie? She threw you the helmet, and you put it on to stop... Nightmare, but then...” She flipped a few pages, evidently confused. “You were stabbed. By someone named ... Phobia. That’s how it happened.” She laid the pages back down on the desk. “I must say, your story is fascinating to me. I’ve never seen anything like it. And I’ve met a lot of people. Been doing this for... a thousand years. Yep.”

For once in his life, Callum had nothing to say. He didn’t remember any of it, but he knew it was true. 

Except he did remember something. He remembered the feeling the helmet gave him; it was as though his power of induced wonderment was working on himself. The whole world was twice as awe-inspiring as it had been before, even to his optimistic eye. And he turned all of that wonder on everyone around him, to get them to stop, to think. To enjoy. 

He remembered Nightmare. Nova. She’d been wearing the mask again, and had already been exonerated, but it was definitely her. 

That was it. He couldn’t remember dying, as much as he tried to think about the pain that would have occurred. It was probably for the best. 

He hoped Maggie was okay. She was a good kid, really. And Nova, too, even though she had been lying for so long. She still deserved a chance, right? She could still change.

Truth be told, he just hoped no one else had died. 

“Callum?” 

The woman’s voice brought him back to the present. 

“Sorry. Just... thinking about all that.” 

“Of course.” 

He hesitated, then asked another burning question. 

“Where is this? I mean, I’d assume it’s some sort of afterlife arrangement, but... how does it work? Tell me everything.” 

The woman froze, and he wondered if he was being too forward, but she quickly recovered. 

“Well, Callum, here in the afterlife there’s a good place, and there’s a bad place.” She paused, then, leaning forward, smiled reassuringly. “You’re in the Good Place, Callum. Congratulations.” 

He didn’t quite know what to make of all this, but politeness seemed like a good way to temper his emotions. “Wow. Thank you so much!” 

Her smile faltered again, but only for a second. “You’re welcome!” She replied. “My name is Eleanor. I’m the Architect of this Good Place neighborhood.” Placing her palms on the table, she stood up and said, “Are you ready for the tour?” 

Callum could think of nothing that he’d like more than a tour of this place. Anything that would get his mind off of his death. “Of course! I can’t wait to see everything. And I mean everything.” 

——

The Good Place was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen in his life. 

Well, he thought that about everything. Everything was pretty amazing if you thought about it the right way. 

“...three hundred and twenty-two soul, blended together in blissful harmony...” 

In other words, peace. Something that he didn’t think he’d ever experienced growing up in Gatlon City.

“...and Janet will be here for all your needs. Janet?” 

A woman wearing a blue stewardess-like outfit materialized out of thin air. “Hello, Eleanor!” she said. “How can I help you today?” 

“Good morning, Janet,” Eleanor replied. “Janet, this is Callum, one of the new residents.” 

“Nice to meet you, Callum! I’m Janet. I’m here to make sure your transition into the afterlife goes smoothly. Just say my name and I’ll be there!” 

Callum couldn’t believe his ears. This girl could magically appear out of thin air to give him things? Anything? He assumed she wasn’t human, but she would be a seriously cool prodigy if she were. 

“Nice to meet you too!” He extended a hand out to Janet. She tilted her head as though confused, then firmly shook it. 

“Thank you, Janet.”

“You’re welcome.” She disappeared with a pleasant boop.

Eleanor turned to Callum. “Are you ready to see your new home?”

“Always!” 

There it was again: a slight clenching of the jaw that disappeared almost instantly. “Right this way,” she announced, then let him follow. 

——

She took him away from the busier town areas to the residential edges of the neighborhood. He began to see more houses than shops and restaurants, and he marveled at how different they all were. Big, small, luxurious, primitive. It was amazing how many kinds of living spaces there could be, as even more amazing that they could all be built and could coexist. 

Eleanor stopped in front of a tall building. Outrageously tall. Really outrageously tall. Callum looked up, but he got a crick in his neck before he could even begin to see the top. 

That is the most amazing thing yet. A neverending building? How cool was that? 

She opened the door, and immediately there was an elevator. They stepped into it and whipped upwards. Callum was shocked, but nothing could make him feel less elated. 

Very soon the elevator stopped, and they emerged from it into a small apartment, with entirely glass walls. 

Unable to contain himself, Callum ran to the wall-window and pressed his hand against it. The entire neighborhood was visible from there, and more. He could see a forest, a lake, fields, everything. 

It was wonderful. 

“We gave you a window view of the neighborhood, since you love observation.” Callum turned to see Eleanor behind him, looking professional but very pleased with herself. “I hope you like it.” 

“I love it. Thank you. I’m so excited to be here.” 

Eleanor nodded. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts.” 

As she walked away, Callum turned his attention back to the window and imagined living every day like this. 

Eleanor’s Log- Day 1 

I don’t know what to do about this guy. 

He is the most enthusiastic and, if I’m being honest, nicest human I’ve ever met. 

I mean, that sky-rise was a hassle. It was perfect, but Michael and Janet had to put it together in, like, ten minutes. It was the best we could come up with— he has to love it, he doesn’t seem like the one who doesn’t belong. But just because our idea for him was complicated doesn’t mean he’s an ash-hole.

Still, there is some sort of flaw in that forker, I know there is. Otherwise the Bad Place wouldn’t have sent him here.

There is an angle. There is always an angle. I will find it. 

Right after I stress-eat some shrimp at the welcome party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a little precarious. Like, if Callum is from the universe with prodigies why does this AU not have the Good Place also existing in that universe? I do not have an answer except I thought it would be more interesting and less confusing for my writer’s brain. Roll with me here. And let me know if you like it!


	2. Wonder Boy Goes to a Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, there is some dialogue taken from TGP.

Callum stepped into the mansion with high expectations, but the front hall alone far surpassed them. 

It was huge, and he couldn’t stop staring. 

He felt someone poke his arm, and he looked down to see Eleanor looking concerned. 

“Hello, Callum. Glad to see you found the place.” 

Callum laughed. “It wasn’t hard to find.” 

“I’ll bet.” Eleanor laughed right along with him, though it seemed strained. Maybe she was just stressed. But this expression quickly faded; her eyes brightened when she looked out at the crowd. 

“Oh, Callum, I’d like you to meet the hosts of tonight’s party. This is Tahani Al-Jamil and Jianyu Li.”

Callum found himself shaking hands with a very tall woman with very long and luxurious hair. 

“Hello,” she said, her accent startling. “We are so excited to meet you, aren’t we, Jianyu?” 

The man next to her, Jianyu, only nodded. 

“Ah, yes,” Tahani said. “You see, Jianyu is a Buddhist monk, and he took a solemn vow of silence on Earth, so when you see him nodding, that’s his way of jumping up and down for joy!” 

“Awesome!” Callum said. “That’s a really fascinating way to spend your life. If you ever do decide to break your vow for whatever reason, come tell me your story! I’d be fascinated to hear about it.”

Tahani’s eyes grew wide and she grasped Jianyu’s shoulder tightly. Eleanor quickly stepped in. “Callum, there are some more people I’d like you to meet. Thank you so much, Tahani!” 

She steered him away from the pair and into another group of people. “Hey everyone,” she interrupted. “This is Callum, he’s another resident here. Callum, this is John, Patricia, and Chidi.” 

“Hello!” Callum said cheerfully, although still wondering why Tahani had looked so scared earlier. He tried to push her face out of his mind, but there had been something off about her whole demeanor. 

“Callum,” the man named Chidi remarked. “That’s an interesting name. Where did it come from?” 

“Oh!” Callum exclaimed. “I don’t actually know.” 

Chidi nodded and made an interested noise out of the spirit of polite conversation. He seemed as though he was about to say more, but he was quickly interrupted. 

“So what’s your story? Spill, sis.” John was much more forward than Callum expected, but he liked that someone was asking him to chat. 

“Well, I was born in Gatlon City, and that’s where I grew up. I—“ 

“No, silly. How did you die? I’m DYING to find out. Ha!” 

Callum hesitated. He wasn’t sure he was ready to talk about that, given he had only just found out himself. 

But wasn’t he going to spend eternity with these people? He might as well tell them something. 

“Well... long story short, I was actually killed during a standoff between enemy groups.” He wasn’t going to explain the Renegade/Anarchist problem to these people, because for whatever reason, no one seemed to have heard of the Renegades, or prodigies for that matter. 

“Oh. My. God. That is so dramatic and amazing I love it! Way cooler than some of the others.” Chidi’s expression became increasingly disgusted, though Callum sensed it was more offense towards John than anything else. The woman, Patricia, only stood and smiled at the three of them. 

There was a sudden clamor in the hall. Heads turned towards the entryway, including Callum’s. 

A woman was wandering back and forth, wearing the most insane outfit he had ever seen. Looking like a cross between an overdressed Shakespearean and an enthusiastic sports fan, she was running around, laughing at everyone and everything she laid eyes on. 

“Hey, Eleanor!” she yelled with glee. “Look what my brain did! Crazy, right?” 

Callum soon saw Eleanor and Michael run by, Eleanor holding tight to a half-eaten piece of shrimp. 

The others had gone back into a conversation— or, at least, John was talking while Patricia nodded— but Callum was still watching Eleanor try to calm the other woman. The only thing he would wager was that it wasn’t working. 

Not wanting to be awkward, he turned his back on the commotion and faced the group again. For once in his life, he found himself out-chatted by another: John would not stop talking. 

After a few moments of pretending to be amazed by John’s gossip (pretending; that was a first), Chidi received a tap on the shoulder. 

Whipping around, Chidi calmed when he saw who it was. “Oh, hi Michael.” 

“Hey,” Michael replied, but he was clearly distracted. “Chidi, you seemed like a reasonable guy, do you think you could have a talk with Simone over there? We just need her to accept this as the afterlife so she... stops disturbing the other residents.” 

“Well...” Chidi looked back at Simone, concern showing in his face. He looked back at Michael. “Well...” 

“I’ll do it,” Callum said. It surprised him, but he actually wanted to know what her deal was. 

“Oh, Callum, that’s very kind of you, but I think Chidi— Chidi?” 

Chidi was completely frozen in space, staring at Simone looking even more tense than before. 

“Seriously, I’m really good at talking to people.” Callum assured Michael. “She seems like an interesting person.” 

Michael hesitated, then said, Ok, Callum. If you insist.” He gestures over to where the woman— Simone— was still having a raucous costume party for one. 

Callum set off wondering why Michael had been so reluctant to let him help. This was the Good Place, right? If Chidi didn’t want to do it, he shouldn’t have to. 

Even as he stood next to her, Simone remained completely oblivious to his presence. “Hello,” he said, approaching cautiously. 

She looked at him with more cheer than he’d ever seen in a human being. Somehow it made him think of Maggie— her grouchy disposition was completely contrary to this. 

“Hey, man! What’s up?” She raised one pointer-gloved hand for a hi-five. He thought about it for a second, then held up his own pointer finger and bumped it against her foam one. 

“Cool. Real cool. I’m Simone. Although you probably knew that already.” 

“You think that this is all a figment of your imagination?” Callum asked, trying not to sound rude. 

“Um, yeah. Clearly, I’m in some kind of coma and my subconscious has created this whole world for me. That’s how neurology works.” 

“Yeah, I guess that is pretty cool.” He was underselling; he thought it was fantastic. But he knew that wasn’t what was happening, although he supposed he could be subconsciously imagining the whole thing. He would rather believe that it really was the afterlife, a real paradise that had been specially made for them to celebrate their part in the human race. 

He knew that everyone around them was put off by Simone’s decorum, and he definitely didn’t want that. He had only one weapon to use, and he had no idea if it would still work. 

Slowly, carefully, he eased his ability into her mind. 

He could see it hit her, but he didn’t know what she was thinking. That was the catch of his power. He could only induce the sense of awe; he couldn’t control it much beyond that. What would inspire her the most in this moment? 

“Derek has been murdered!” 

The voice startled him and he lost his grip on Simone. He looked up and saw the face of a man on a floating screen, cheerfully proclaiming the death of Derek. 

“Murder has been me! I have been Dereked!” 

Simone pointed up to the screen in the sky. “Hey! Look what my brain did!” 

Eleanor’s Log— Still Day 1

That was a DISASTER. 

In short, John wouldn’t let anyone get a word in edgewise, Simone’s gone crazy, Brent was a self-obsessed ash-hole to everyone, and Callum... is still the nicest human being in the universe. 

I don’t get it. Why would they send the guy here? It doesn’t make sense. He’s got no connection to any of us, and he’s not an obliviously bad person. 

So I’m a mess emotionally. I’m letting it get to me. That’s how this is going.


	3. Wonder Boy Has A Nice Chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a side note: all of the frozen yogurt flavors featured here are actually on the show.

When Callum woke, he couldn’t remember where he was. The ceiling was too high, the bed too soft, the sun shining too brightly in his face. But after sitting up and seeing the plethora of clouds surrounding him, he remembered. 

The Good Place. 

Not wanting to miss a second of the day’s events, he rushed to get dressed and hopped into the elevator. It was only a few moments before he was hopping out of it, into this new paradise. 

The second he stepped outside, he heard it— a song blaring loudly on repeat. It wasn’t one he recognized, but it got annoying fast. 

There was a rumbling sound, prompting him to look up and see the giant golf ball headed straight for him. 

He ran as fast as he could before he could stop to think about it too much. The golf ball missed him by inches and slammed into the high-rise, inexplicably leaving only a dent in the side. 

He straightened his spine. “Huh,” he said to himself. “Weird.” He turned to face the rest of the neighborhood and saw... 

Utter madness. 

Golf balls were everywhere. Orange puffs of smoke were spreading over everything. The people, running and screaming, were all wearing orange and black striped clothing.

Callum looked down at himself. He was also dressed in orange and black, and while he couldn’t say he was surprised, he couldn’t help but wonder how it had happened. 

The screaming grew louder as he headed for the center of town. Everyone was running away from something, usually a dodgeball, but he did see a couple of people being pursued by a huge stuffed tiger. 

He found Simone amidst all the chaos. It wasn’t hard; she was the only one who wasn’t running or screaming, but just calmly drinking her coffee.

Even with all the insanity around him, the thing that amazed him most was the coffee. Where had she even gotten it from? 

He approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her into doing something that would get her killed. (Could they still be killed by something? They were all already dead. Could they die again, even in paradise?) 

His caution was deemed unnecessary when she turned and said, “Hi! Sorry about all the mess.” 

“What do you have to be sorry for?” he asked her. “This isn’t your fault. Actually,” he interrupted himself, looking around curiously, “I wonder whose fault it is.” 

“Well, it’s my fault.” 

Callum looked back at Simone. “Go on.” 

She shrugged, showing no concern for potentially having caused complete chaos. “My brain, mate. I must have heard something that triggered this. I don’t know why my coma would lead me to, say, golf balls, but the human mind is truly a maze.” 

Callum didn’t have a response for that. He just stared silently out at the destruction being wreaked upon the neighborhood. 

“Simone! Callum!” 

Callum looked to see Eleanor and Michael running towards him at top speed. Eleanor came skidding to a halt a few feet away from him, whereas Michael flapped and zig-zagged his way over, gradually coming to a stop. 

“We are so sorry,” Eleanor apologized profusely. “We are working on fixing this right now.” 

“Don’t bother,” Simone cut in. “You’re not real anyway.” 

Evidently dismissing Simone altogether, Eleanor turned to Callum. “Callum, we are so sorry about your house. We’ll fix it as soon as we stop this.” 

“What’s causing it?” He asked.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Michael replied. Eleanor gave him a nasty look that suggested they were planning on keeping that information under wraps. 

“But we’ll figure it out,” she recovered. “These things are rare, but they can happen.” 

Michael was looking out into the street. Suddenly, he tapped Eleanor’s shoulder urgently. She looked up at him, and he pointed to her left. She looked that way and, seeing something, said a hasty goodbye. 

“Sorry, guys. Gotta go.” They ran off, shouting, “Brent! Brent!” 

“Huh.” Callum was curious about how things had fallen apart so quickly. That, and he couldn’t remember an instance in which authority was honest about their mistakes, or lack of solutions. They hadn’t tried to sugarcoat it, but instead came forward and apologized first. 

Would things have been different if the Renegade Council had done that? Been more honest about their shortcomings?

“Hey, fake person, wanna grab some fake coffee in a fake cafe?”

The question pulled him from his thoughts. “Shouldn’t we be on the alert, in case they need us for something?” 

“Nah. The whole thing is fake anyway. Might as well sit down somewhere.” 

—————

They couldn’t find a cafe that wasn’t in direct shooting range of a golf ball, but they did find a frozen yogurt place. No one was running it, and Callum wasn’t sure who would have been running it if not for the chaos outside, but it didn’t matter. Simone just popped to the other side of the counter and got Callum some Unmitigated Joy, and for herself a large froyo sundae including Technological Breakthrough, Empty Inbox, and Strawberry Vinaigrette. 

“Wow,” Callum remarked, seeing the size of her bowl. “That’s impressive.” 

“Remember mate, it’s not real. I can eat whatever I want.” 

“Right.” Callum paused, watching her dig in. “What makes you think that this—“ he gestured around them “— isn’t real?” 

She swallowed. “I’m a neuroscientist, and we generally wouldn’t believe in something like the afterlife. It’s much more likely that I’m taking in information around me while on my deathbed and turning it into this extreme hallucination. I probably heard about how I was gonna die, processed that information in my unconscious state, and translated that into this weird afterlife fantasy.”

“That’s a really interesting theory,” Callum remarked. He wasn’t about to say he agreed with her; after all, he knew he was real, so if she was right it meant she herself wasn’t real— a problem too complicated and theoretical for him to comprehend. But he wouldn’t go so far as to say that it didn’t fascinate him. 

“Oh, it’s not a theory. It’s a fact. There’s no way this all exists. It’s illogical.” 

Callum furrowed his brow, thinking. Maybe her thoughts had some legitimacy to them, but she couldn’t definitely have a wider imagination. 

“But imagine, just for a moment,” he began. Simone began to counter, but Callum plowed on. “Imagine that after you die, you discover more things. Things you wound have even believed existed before. I mean, you can have all of this paradise! Peace and love and enjoyment. Forever.” 

She shook her head. “Too easy. There’s no way.” 

“Why not enjoy it anyway?” He knew it was a long shot, but he wanted her to enjoy herself. “If it’s all in your head, why not lean into it and live in a near paradise for a little while?” 

She chewed on her spoon, considering. Then she removed it and said, “Ok, keep talking, probably fake but _maybe_ real wonder boy.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this, I’m going to be deviating a lot more from the plot of season four, because obviously they’d try different things if the experiment has Callum rather than Chidi. So these are going to start taking a lot longer. If anyone has any day-by-day plots that they really want to see, let me know and I can try to do them!


	4. Wonder Boy Cleans Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I’m doing some things out of order, so to completely throw canon timelines out the window I redid s.1 e.2. Because that makes sense.

The neighborhood residents were all asked to gather at the town center. Callum knew this because, when the screaming and crashing noises finally stopped, Eleanor’s voice filled the silence. 

“All residents: please return to the town square. All residents: please return to the town square. All residents: please return...” 

Simone scooped up the last of her frozen yogurt and sighed. “I guess we have to go to that.” 

“Yep.” Callum wasn’t quite sure how to talk to Simone now. He’d made some real progress with her over the time they’d spent in the froyo place, and he didn’t want to jeopardize it by saying the wrong thing. Maybe he was overthinking it and should just be himself. 

They tossed their empty cups and spoons in the trash and headed out. The shop wasn’t far from the square, so they were able to get there with only enough time for a little bit of ridiculous theorization. 

“Ooh, ooh,” Callum added, “Maybe a tiger got into the Good Place, but arrived a day late!” 

“Maybe I was attacked by a tiger, so I transplanted it into my hallucination!” 

So maybe she was still under the impression that the whole thing was fake. Still, he knew she’d get better with practice. It was a big adjustment. 

When they arrived at the mansion, tensions were running high. At least, that was Callum’s first impression. But no, most of the residents were simply talking amongst themselves. It was John from the night before who was making his temper known. 

“Excuse me!” he yelled, shoving his way through the crowd to get to where Janet was standing. “I think I have the right to know what’s going on.” Callum only just noticed the smirk that crossed his face. 

Clearly, whoever this John guy was, he loved drama. 

“Attention, everyone.” Eleanor sounded authoritative but frazzled. “We are so sorry for the chaos that occurred this morning. Luckily, we’ve identified the source of the problem and it should be fixing itself shortly.” 

Tahani, positioned right at the front of the group, began clapping politely. All the others followed her lead, including Callum. He noticed that Simone didn’t join in, instead biting the inside of her cheek. 

“Thank you,” Eleanor said graciously. “So, to make up for this madness, we’d like to give you all a special treat. We don’t do this very often, but it seems like you’ve all earned it. It’s something you’ve always wanted to do... flying.” 

There was a collective gasp of awe across the crowd, but Callum couldn’t even manage that. Flying had been a rare ability in Gatlon; no prodigies with that power had turned up since Lady Indomitable. Plus, as a prodigy with not the most flashy superpower, he’d always wanted to try out something more adventurous. 

“So everyone get your gear on and— yes, Tahani?” For Tahani had begun climbing the stairs, with Jianyu in tow. 

“Well, I’d noticed that in the chaos, large swaths of the neighborhood were destroyed,” she began. “So Jianyu and I thought it might be nice to do some cleaning, or maintenance, as it were— cleaning up trash, shattered golf balls, that sort of thing.” 

“Oh!” Eleanor exclaimed. “That is so kind of you, Tahani! I suppose there’s no harm in a little community service.”

“Hurrah!” Tahani cheered. “Now, we’ll need about twelve volunteers?”

Various scattered hands rose from the group. Callum hesitated for a moment, then, without thinking about it too much, brought his own hand up to join them. 

“Really?” Simone scoffed at him. “You want to pick up trash instead of flying?” 

“Well, no,” he admitted. “But I feel like it’s the right thing to do. Someone has to do it, right?” 

“If this is real, you don’t have anything to prove. You’re already here.” 

Callum was encouraged by that statement. Even though she was arguing with him, she was starting to accept. “I just want to help out. It’s not about proving something.” A silence settled between them, but soon Callum had an idea. “You could join me.” 

Simone let out a short laugh. “Sorry, Callum, but whether this is real or not I would still choose flying over cleanup.” 

“Why not do both?” Callum said, surprising himself. “Help clean the neighborhood a little, then go flying.” 

Simone pondered. Even having known her for less than twenty-four hours, he could tell she was about to say no. 

It hadn’t worked the first time he tried it, but maybe second time was the charm? 

He eased his ability into her mind again, only this time it felt looser, more susceptible to awe. He saw her eyes widen, realizing... something. 

But when he backed away, she returned to her stubborn self. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re a weirdo, mate.” 

Callum sighed privately. He wasn’t going to lament it forever, but he would admit he was disappointed. 

————  
Watching the fliers was a little depressing while on cleanup duty, but he reminded himself that he was doing his part. 

Besides, it was kinda fun. 

“Heads up, Ed!” he shouted as he tossed a trash bag full of golf ball bits into the air. 

“Got it!” came the reply. Callum liked Ed. He was fun-loving, but he also wasn’t afraid to work while having fun. 

Callum looked around his designated area. He saw not a speck of debris left, and patted himself on the back. 

“Oy!” 

He looked directly up to see Simone, hovering a few feet above him. 

“Are you finished?” she asked him. “Flying is fun, of course, but it would be more fun if you joined in.” 

Callum grinned. “Sounds like someone’s beginning to live in the moment.” 

Simone rolled her eyes at him, but she was clearly pleased. “Come on!” She flew off into the distance. 

Callum scanned his area one more time, just to double-check that he wasn’t leaving any extra work for the others, then headed over to the flight pad. 

“All suited up?” Janet asked him. “Hop onto the pad.” When he has done so, she said, “Now think of something that brings you pure joy.” 

He closed his eyes. What did bring him pure joy? The first thing he thought of was Renegade headquarters: all those amazing powers and potentials in one space. 

But his conversation with Simone unwittingly entered his thoughts. How nice it had been, to just talk to someone who appreciated what he was saying. 

He wasn’t sure which thought sent him soaring through the air. He pushed his nervousness away as he went off to join his new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I’ve kinda ditched Eleanor’s log but I figure it will come back... *evil chuckling*
> 
> I swear this is all going somewhere
> 
> And again if anyone has any day-to-day plots they’d like to see, just let me know in the comments


	5. Wonder Boy Makes a Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me way longer than I wanted it to, sorry about that. But here it is, in all its awkward glory.

Callum was still reeling with delight from his flying experience. It had been just as wonderful as he’d always thought it would be, and a day later he was still giddy with excitement. 

He suspected (or at least would assure himself of this when it all went to shirt) he’d been so elated and oblivious that he wasn’t paying attention and walked straight into Jianyu.

“I’m so sorry!” he recovered, helping the surprised monk dust himself off. He seemed unhurt, thank goodness, but what was that on the ground?

A small, colorful plastic item glinted against the cobblestones, but before Callum could get a decent look at it Jianyu had scooped it up and was running off. 

Callum whipped his head around to watch him retreat, utterly bewildered. He started walking again when he’d gotten the distinct feeling that people were staring. 

—————

“Maybe it was just a monk-related thing.” 

Simone was licking her frozen yogurt cone, which she’d insisted on trying even though the soft consistency should have rendered it impossible. Somehow it was working, just like how he somehow had room for more frozen yogurt. 

“Maybe,” he conceded. “But it’s still a little suspicious. Why did he pick it up so fast? And why did he run away? Not to generalize,” he added hastily, “but aren’t Buddhist monks supposed to be more calm and collected, anti-materialistic, and all that?”

“I guess,” Simone replied. “Still, it’s not really your business. I mean, if he wants to discover action figures in his afterlife, he should go for it.” Having finished the yogurt, she took a crunching bite of the cone. 

Callum’s eyes snapped up to look at her. “You think it’s an action figure?” 

“Well, it’s just an example. I picked something small, colorful and plastic.” 

But Callum was hinged on the action figure now, and there was no turning back. 

—————

It wasn’t until a few days later that he saw Jianyu again. He was sheepishly standing with Eleanor, who was deep in conversation with another man. Chidi, Callum recalled. Eleanor seemed to be explaining something, gesturing back and forth between the two men. 

Only when she had gone away, leaving them to awkwardly stand in silence, did Callum dare approach. 

“Hey, guys!” he said cheerfully. “What’s up?” 

“Callum, right?” Chidi asked. “Nice to see you again. Eleanor asked if I would help Jianyu—“ He paused to glance at the monk, who was trying very hard to not listen. “—get adjusted to the neighborhood.” 

“Cool!” Callum said, relieved. If Eleanor wasn’t suspicious, he didn’t have to be either. It had probably just been a fluke. “That sounds like a lot of fun.” 

“Yeah. I was just going to take him for some frozen yogurt, try to get to know each other. Or maybe to my apartment.” He looked over at Jianyu again, who was now incredibly alert. 

“So... would you prefer the apartment?” Chidi asked him. 

Jianyu nodded vigorously. 

“All right!” Chidi declared, turning back to Callum. “We’re going back to the apartment.” 

“Could I come with?” Callum could feel how awkward the question was. “I’m pretty much fascinated by everything, and I’d love to get to know the both of you. If, of course, I’m not imposing on you.” 

Chidi grew suddenly tense. “Um, sure!” he said, a bit too enthusiastic. “Why not?” 

—————

Chidi’s apartment matched his demeanor-   
understated, cluttered, and bookish. 

“Welcome,” Chidi said. “Please, have a seat.” 

Jianyu had already flopped into a nearby chair. Callum sat tentatively, still unsure of how Chidi felt about him being there. 

But there wasn’t time for him to figure that out, because as soon as the door clicked closed Jianyu was on his feet and rushing to Chidi. 

“Homie, you gotta help me. I’m not Jianyu, I’m Jason Mendoza from Jacksonville. I don’t know what’s going on! I’m not supposed to be here!” 

The silence that descended upon the room was the worst Callum could have imagined. 

“What?” Chidi said.

—————

Jason’s tale was not what Callum had been expecting. He’d confirmed that Simone’s random guess had been right— the plastic object had been an action figure that Jason was unwisely carrying under his robe. All of a sudden he was faced with the double dilemma of how to deal with the new information and how to deal with Chidi’s steadily rising stress levels. 

“I have a stomachache,” he moaned, leaning forward. “I have a very bad stomachache.” 

Callum shook his head. “Jason, why are you telling us this at all?”

Jason considered this. “I don’t know. Chidi seems really smart-brained. And I can’t go another second without talking. Eleanor was going to have me go around and nod at everyone. Boring.”

“Okay... so why did you tell him with me in the room?” 

Jason only shrugged. 

Callum turned back to Chidi, still in his funk. “Got any ideas?” 

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t know if we can help him or not. Let me just—“ He stopped and reached out his hand as though to grab something. Soon a book came flying sharply into his hand, which he then opened and began perusing frantically. 

“First off, that was amazing.” Callum began. “Second, what is that book?” 

Chidi held the cover up so Callum could see. “A Treatise of Human Nature, by David Hume,” Callum read, understanding nothing. 

“I was a professor of ethics at St. John’s University,” Chidi said by way of explanation. “There has to be an answer for this ethical question, and it’ll be in one of these books.” 

An idea was forming in Callum’s mind. Something that could help everyone. It was a little risky, and he wasn’t sure he trusted Jason to keep a lid on it after this, but...

“Is there any way we could... teach him how to be a better person?”

Chidi looked up at him. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean we give him the tools he needs to survive here, among the notably good. You can teach him ethics, and I’ll... I don’t know what I’ll do, but I can be helpful somehow.” He turned to look at Jason. “What do you think?” 

“What?” Jason replied, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the calculation of his fate. 

“Why do you want to help him?” Chidi asked after they had fully absorbed the image. “There isn’t anything in it for you. I’m just wondering, from an ethical standpoint, what your motivation is.” 

Callum thought about it. No, he wasn’t going to get anything out of it. Yes, helping Jason probably put him in some sort of risk, although he couldn’t be sure of what. 

“I don’t know,” he finally answered. “I guess I just have a belief that everybody can be good. Back where I’m from, there’s a lot of... controversy over good and evil, and everyone thinks the two are mutually exclusive, but I don’t think it’s that simple.” 

Chidi nodded sagely. “That’s a really interesting philosophy, Callum.” 

Callum beamed. “Thanks! I’d better be going now, though. I said I’d meet a friend.” 

“Yes, go,” Chidi agreed. “Don’t let me keep you.” 

And that’s how Callum walked to his lunch with Simone (because of course that was the friend he was seeing) with two new friends and a secret that he had no idea how to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it odd that I only just found the connected theme of improvement and perspective evil? I was writing Callum’s little spiel at the end and I was just like “huh”. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	6. Wonder Boy Has A Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally my writer’s brain has thawed for the spring! I got very stuck on this chapter and let it sit for three months. But I’m back, and I think I’ve got an outline for the rest of it, so hopefully the next update won’t take so long.

The next few months were a joy for Callum. Everything was paradise, as promised: his house, the people, the shops and restaurants, everything. 

But what he loved most was his personal activities. He was spending many of his days with Simone, eating frozen yogurt and cracking jokes. The secret ethics lessons with Chidi were fascinating, and as far as he could tell Jason was making a slow but steady improvement. 

But as it turned out, those two things together were causing a problem. Because Simone was starting to wonder where he went for half the day. 

Admittedly, he hadn’t been making the best excuses for why he needed to leave her company. But did the whole secrecy thing have to be so exhausting? 

“Where you off to?” Simone asked him slyly as he stood up. 

“Oh, just on a... light... jog...” 

He would always leave before having to follow up on his lame responses, but things were beginning to get a bit tense between them. 

“Can I join you?” Simone asked. 

She’d caught him completely off guard. “Um... what?” 

“On your jog. It sounds fun. Where do you go?” 

—————

So, while Chidi was no doubt struggling with Jason on own, Callum was forced to take a jog. 

He appreciated the benefits of jogging. It had amazing results, mental and physical, depending on the person. But it wasn’t something that he’d ever had much of a desire to do himself. 

It’s all for the purpose of the secret, he reminded himself. Jason deserved a second chance, and Callum was going to work his hardest to give him one. 

Even if it meant physical exertion. 

In his defense, Simone was struggling too. She wasn’t trying very hard to hide it, either. 

At the first bench along the path, they both collapsed, panting. 

“Why is that still so hard?” Simone asked incredulously. “I thought everything was easier in the Good Place.” 

“I don’t know,” Callum replied. “But it’s kinda interesting, don’t you think? That our bodies don’t change, nor our physical capacity? Maybe it’s a form of validation. Like, you were great on Earth, don’t change.” 

“That’s a nice thought,” said Simone, “but they probably just didn’t get around to it.” 

Callum shrugged. He still liked his theory better. 

“Do you actually do this every day? Every time you dash away real quick, you’re... jogging?” 

“Yup,” he answered without thinking. “Getting in shape. You know.” 

“You don’t seem very enthusiastic.” She raised an eyebrow. “And you’re enthusiastic about everything.” 

“Just a little hard to get used to,” Callum said quickly. “But that’s the point. Now we’re in the Good Place, we can do all the things we couldn’t on Earth.” 

She was unconvinced. “Callum, you’ve been running off somewhere every day for the past four months, and you’ve given a different excuse every time. Now really, what’s going on?” 

Callum squeezed his mouth shut and pondered his options. One, he could go on lying to her and skip the class, just for a few days until she got off his back. Two, he could avoid her from this point forward. Or three, he could show her the truth. 

Even though he knew it was a dumb idea, and certain to get him in some kind of trouble, it didn’t take long for him to decide which. 

—————

Callum knocked the apartment door. “Hey, Chidi? It’s me.” 

The doorknob clicked and the door swung open, revealing a reluctantly nonplussed Chidi. 

“Hey! Um. Where were you today— oh.” 

He froze upon seeing Simone. Then, frantically retracing his words from the last thirty seconds, leaned against the door frame in an attempt to look casual. 

Needless to say, he was failing. 

“Hey, Chidi. Nice to meet you. I’m Simone.” She stuck her hand out for him, and he shook it, visibly quivering and retreating into his shirt. 

“Hi. Um. Hello.” Chidi had entered some kind of hyperventilation. 

“Are you all right, mate? You’re freaking out a bit.” Simone’s concern seemed to be 90% legit and 10% amusement. “Maybe you need to sit down.” 

Chidi’s eyes grew wide and drifted in Callum’s direction. 

Callum pursed his lips for a minute, thinking. Was this really a good idea? 

That couldn’t still be a question. Yes, because Simone was his friend and when friends shared with each other, the world becomes a little bit better. 

“She can see, Chidi,” he said. “It’s okay. She’s fine.” 

Chidi nodded, shrinking into his shirt even further, but not moving from the doorway. The three of them stood there in awkward silence. 

“Chidi,” Callum said finally. “Can we come in?” 

Chidi nodded quickly again, then pushed the door all the way open. Then he turned to the walls and leaned his head against it. 

Simone stood motionless for a moment, until Callum beckoned for her to enter. She did so slowly. When she saw Jason sitting on she turned to Callum, clearly confused. 

“The you’re hanging out with the monk? That’s not a big deal.” 

“Well...” Callum hesitated. This was his last out. “There’s actually a little more to him than you know.” 

“Oh really?” 

Callum nodded and looked at Jason, not sure if he should explain or let him show her. But Jason decided for him. 

“What up, homie?” 

Simone’s eyebrows flew up. “I’m sorry, what?” 

“Simone,” Callum began. “This is Jason, not Jianyu. He’s... not technically supposed to be here.” 

“Technically?” 

“I don’t want to say definitively, because everyone has potential, but yes. Numbers-wise, personality-wise, he was brought here by mistake.” 

Simone blinked, processing the overload of information. “So why is he here? Shouldn’t you tell Eleanor?” 

“We’re not going to. I don’t think that would give him the chance he deserves.” 

In the same moment, everyone looked at Jason, who wasn’t exactly helping Callum’s argument. Instead, he had gotten up from his seat and begun bouncing a ball (where he’d gotten it no one knew) against Chidi’s apartment wall. 

Suddenly it flew out of control, bouncing wildly across the room, nearly breaking multiple things, until it sailed nearly into Simone’s expectant hand. 

“So how are you going to change this guy?” 

“Well,” Callum said, glad that part was over. “That’s really Chidi’s department. Chidi?” 

Simone turned expectantly to Chidi, but it was clear that he was going to be of no help whatsoever. He was still turtled inside of his shirt, rocking back and forth, making lightly panicked breathing noises. 

“Okay, then.” Simone turned back to Callum as he said this. “Chidi was a professor of ethics. We’re trying to teach him philosophy and morality to make him a better person.” 

Simone frowned. “That’s your plan? Is it... working?” 

Callum shrugged. “Not sure yet. He seems to register some of it.” 

“And why are you telling me this, if it’s so important to keep it a secret?” 

“I guess...” Callum hesitated. Why did he want to tell her? He wasn’t even sure he knew. “I guess I didn’t like keeping secrets from you. You’re my friend, and I didn’t like that I had to keep running out on you.” 

“That’s really sweet,” she said, smiling slightly. 

The room descended into silence as they all (excepting Jason, who was now sucking on multiple lollipops he’d gotten from who knows where) considered the ramifications of what had just happened. 

“Fine,” Simone said finally. “I won’t tell anyone, and I’ll let you do your thing.” 

Callum released a tiny sigh that he hadn’t known he was holding. “Thank you.” But she was still staring at him with an odd expression. 

“What is it?” 

“Oh, nothing. I just wish I had my MRI. I’d like to get a look at your decision-making process.”


	7. Wonder Boy Handles a Crisis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact! It's been almost a year since I published the first chapter of this fic! Isn't that something... and I'm very sorry. :) 
> 
> Long story short, things have been nuts lately and I hit a bit of a rut with this, so I goofed around, wrote some other stuff, and now I finally finished this chapter. Yay! I hope you enjoy it!

“So tomorrow,” Chidi concluded as everyone began packing up, “we’ll pick up right where we left off?”

Callum smiled brightly. “Sounds good!” Simone, next to him, nodded in agreement.

Three heads turned expectantly to Jason, who had his usual clueless expression on.

“Does that sound okay, Jason?” Simone said, a little more forcefully. She had the least amount of patience with him.

“Yeah, dog!” Jason exclaimed enthusiastically.

None of them were particularly convinced that Jason was learning anything. He didn’t pay a ton of attention, as far as they could tell, and the few times he had contributed to the group it consisted of inane ramblings that were only halfway relevant.

Callum felt that it didn’t matter all that much if he was actually absorbing the material, which was complicated and existential and he wasn’t sure he understood it himself.

The company of genuinely good people was what he hoped Jason was benefitting from. Chidi was always trying to do the right thing to the point of exhaustion. Simone’s stubborn exterior hid a fiercely kind heart.

As for himself, well… he wasn’t sure what exactly got him into the Good Place, but he hoped it was his never-ending optimism and determination to make others see good.

And little by little, Jason did seem to be improving— he was less impulsive and thoughtless than before. So something was getting through, did it really matter what?

“Callum?”

He shook his head and looked at Simone.

“Oh, good. I thought you’d gone in a trance. Got something on your mind?”

“Yeah, actually.” The pair waved to Chidi in quick goodbye and started down the stairs. “How did you know?”

Simone shrugged. “You just get this look in your eyes. A little glint that always seems to mean you’re daydreaming.”

————

The next day, Callum was in good spirits.

Not that he was ever really in _bad_ spirits. But there was something different about today; he had a feeling that something wonderful was going to happen, something even more extraordinary than usual.

That said, he’d felt very similarly on the day he’d discovered the truth about Jason. It was possible that every day felt like this in the Good Place.

As he climbed the steps to Chidi’s apartment, a little ditty began to run through his head. He wasn’t entirely sure where it came from, but it was cool.

Until he discovered it was not in his head.

The sounds were muffled, but they grew louder as Callum continued up. It was the sound of Jason’s beloved EDM. Callum cringed and began to talk a bit faster.

He wanted Jason to be himself, he really did. But he also knew that this neighborhood wasn’t quite prepared for what Jason had to offer. He reached the landing and opened the door to the apartment, not bothering to knock in case the situation needed to be dealt with quickly.

There was Jason, still in his monk uniform but otherwise unrecognizable from that persona. He’d somehow acquired speakers and who knows what else to blast his music from the rooftops. Callum shook his head and turned to close the door.

Standing there, somehow having followed him up unnoticed, was John, gaping at the man he’d thought was a beacon of wisdom.

————

It took some time to haul John in the room andget everything sorted out, especially considering Callum was doing it by himself. Neither Chidi nor Simone had arrived yet, and watching John bounce off the walls only cemented Callum’s need to placate the situation quickly. He started with Jason.

“Hey, Jason,” he began, once he’d gotten John to sit in a chair and be quiet. “Why were you playing that music up here?”

Jason looked down and shrugged. “I guess I was bored.”

“That makes sense. There isn’t really anything wrong, just maybe next time use earbuds.”

Jason glanced at Callum cautiously out of the corner of his eye. “Really?”

“Really.”

Jason smiled, then quickly switched to a calmer expression that more closely matched the monk personality and nodded.

With that done, Callum turned to John, who was already in a terrible state. He was bouncing his foot and looking at his watch every five seconds— that is, when he wasn’t looking curiously at Jason.

Callum took a deep breath. Sure, he didn’t know this guy very well. It was going to be harder to convince him to stay quiet. But it was worth it, right?

————

Callum wished he could lie down and never talk to this guy again.

John was gossipy. And terrible at keeping secrets. He did not take kindly to the idea of keeping something this big under wraps.

And on top of that, Callum was beginning to see why people in Gatlon had found him exhausting sometimes. John had a lot of the same enthusiasm and zest— albeit for different reasons. Was this how people had felt about him?

He hoped not.

“John, listen,” He tried again. “It’s really important that you don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

John folded his arms. “And again I ask, why exactly is that?”

Callum grumbled. “You’re right, Jianyu isn’t really a Buddhist monk. Eleanor must have put him here by mistake. But we’re trying to make him a better person, so that he can stay here and not worry anyone.” He took a deep breath. This _needed_ to work. “So you can’t tell anyone, okay? If Eleanor found out she’d probably have to send him to the Bad Place, and that wouldn’t be right.”

John’s mouth was scrunched up in reluctance.“Well…”

Callum hardly dared to breathe. If John wasn’t on board, it was over. All of it. Done.

“Fine,” John finally said after what felt like an eternity. “I’ll try. But it’s not going to be easy. It was literally my job to report juicy stories like this.”

Callum nodded. “As long as you try, I’m grateful. Thank you.”

But he remained worried.

————

“Welcome to Game Night!” Tahani’s voice echoed in the enormous hallway. “Tonight you can enjoy old games with new friends. We have some classics set up around the room, but if you don’t find what you’re looking for, simply ask Janet to find it for you! And most importantly, have fun!”

Everyone clapped politely, Callum among them, but he couldn’t help being on edge. He hadn’t heard a peep from John since yesterday morning, and while it could mean that he was keeping his promise, it could also mean something very different.

Maybe he should have told Chidi and Simone what happened. But he was pretty sure neither one would have a helpful reaction, Chidi in particular, so he kept it to himself and trusted Jason would do the same.

“What do we do first, gang?” Simone asked. “Have any favorite games on Earth?” She looked pointedly at Callum, but he wasn’t paying attention.

“Callum?”

“Huh? Oh! Uh, no sorry.” He was mortified that he hadn’t been listening.

“That’s all right buddy.” She turned away but still kept an eye on him out of concern. “Any suggestions?”

“Guys, they have chutes and ladders!” Jason ran to the table closest to them, currently unoccupied except for the kid’s game sitting on top.

Callum shrugged. “Okay.” The group settled themselves around the table, feeling slightly uncomfortable but hiding it as best they could.

No sooner had Callum sat down than someone slid into the unoccupied seat to his right and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey everyone, mind if I join? Great.”

It was John. Callum sighed internally, but on the outside smiled and tried to mask the fact that there was anything wrong with this particular person joining them.

“Callum,” John whispered. “I can’t take it anymore! I just have to tell someone right now!”

“Don’t!” Callum whispered back. “Look, just— stick around here, have a little fun with us, and try to think about something else, ok?”

John nodded vigorously. He did seem legitimately anxious about giving up the secret, an observation that both worried Callum and gave him a strange sense of hope.

They were just about to start playing when Janet came over.

“Hey, guys! Would it be okay if Brent could join you?” Next to her was a grumpy looking man wearing a polo shirt and khakis.

“Are you sure there’s no poker?” he asked rudely.

“I’m sorry, but no one else seems to want to play poker. But I’m sure this group will love to have you join them!”

The study group, previously having been silent at the thought of this surly white guy joining them, responded with fake enthusiasm.

“Of course!” Chidi exclaimed, tone laced with stress. “Welcome!”

With another annoyed look at Janet, Brent sat in the remaining seat. They heard a “bing!” and Janet disappeared.

Nobody moved for an awkward minute. They all stared at each other, all sensing different levels of impending doom.

“All right!” Chidi said, breaking the silence. “Let’s play!”

The game began, but Callum could see John sucking on his bottom lip. He was going to crack if they didn’t try to keep the conversation away from him.

They began to play without a word. Thankfully, both Brent and John remained fairly silent, John out of fear and Brent out of annoyance.

The game seemed to drag on for infinity, everyone rolling the dice and occasionally celebrating a good roll. Nothing fell apart until Jason crossed the finish line.

“BORTLES!” He exclaimed, leaping out of his seat and dancing.

The whole study group, including John, inhaled sharply. Simone, closest to Jason, tugged gently on his sleeve.

No one at any other table had noticed, all being completely absorbed in their games. Brent might have written it off as a random outburst, if John hadn’t leaned over out of desperation and whisper-shouted, “Shut up, Jason, you Floridian idiot!”

Brent definitely registered this as suspect.

Callum’s head dropped to the table; he couldn’t be bothered to hold it up anymore. Everything about this was so exhausting.

Simone stared straight ahead, exasperated. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Eleanor and Michael high-five each other.


End file.
